Let the PSCOs who work for Cheshire Constabulary tell you first
hand why they enjoy their job.
PSCO Steve Dodd
In Warrington, PCSO Steve Dodd is delivering a first class
service to residents in Glazebury thanks to a new partnership with
the village Post Office.
He's introduced his own police 'post box'. So now when people
pop in to buy stamps and post letters in the traditional red post
box outside, they can also leave messages and information for PCSO
Dodd in the blue post box which he checks on a regular basis.
This initiative is one of the latest ways Neighbourhood Policing
Team officers are making themselves more visible and accessible to
residents at places which are convenient for them.
It follows on from a scheme when Culcheth's officers began to
work from the local library as well as the police station in
Risley. And so far residents appear to be making good use of
contacting police in this way.
Information left at the library has led to the recovery of an
unused air weapon which had been discovered at a property. Parents
have also used the contact point to ask PCSO Dodd to speak to their
children about their behaviour. Home Watch Co-ordinators have also
found it a useful way of passing on information.
Sub Post Master, Diane Nicolson, added: "It's good to have the
regular contact with PCSO Dodd and the police post box will be of
benefit to local residents, especially the elderly."
PCSO Sharon Jones
Sharon Jones is a PCSO with Nantwich Rural Community Action
Team. Her daily work may include visiting a school or youth club to
get to know young people, helping to investigate a burglary,
organising the setting up of a Community Speedwatch team, or going
out on a rural contact bus to discuss policing issues in local
villages.
At night she may be at a Parish Council or Community Action
Meeting, or touring local hotspots with Police Officers to break up
gangs of under-age drinkers. On Friday and Saturday nights she
often joins Officers patrolling Nantwich town centre to deter
violence and disorder.
Sharon became a PCSO in 2005. Before that, she was catering
manager at the former Cheshire Police Training Centre in Crewe.
PCSO Paul Mines
Paul Mines made the move from being a Special Constable to a
PCSO and hasn't looked back since.
Mines was originally an engineer in Prescott and while he spent
his days repairing and selling disability equipment, his spare time
was spent volunteering in Widnes as a Special Constable - a role he
undertook for no less than 12 years.
He's now the dedicated PCSO for the Farnworth area of the town,
working as part of the Widnes Neighbourhood Policing Team.
“When the opportunity came up to become a PCSO I took the chance
because I wanted to help people in the community full time,” said
PCSO Mines.
“I've encountered all kinds of incidents and met all kinds of
people.
“I have more time to get involved in resolving local community
issues and although I actually have fewer powers now than I did as
a Special I can deal with situations in other ways, but I can
always call upon my colleagues if it's necessary to make an
arrest.”
PCSO Mines spends the majority of his time patrolling in the
Farnworth area either in tandem with another officer in the
evenings - usually another PCSO - or individually during the day
time.
He said: “I enjoy being out and about and helping members of the
public. Having been a Special beforehand I've built up a total of
14 years knowledge of the geography of the area, who the local
residents are and also who the local crooks are.”
In addition to attending partner agency meetings, PCSO Paul
Mines spends a lot of his time speaking to youths and reassuring
local residents.
“I get a good reaction from the public when they see me out and
about on patrol and I spend a lot of time talking to people about
the issues in their neighbourhood and how I can help to resolve
them.”
For PCSO Mines there is no such thing as a typical day. When the
River Mersey burst its banks in March 2006, he played an
instrumental role in managing the scene by closing a road to
protect the public and advising other agencies of the
situation.
“I also remember one evening I had a phone call stating that two
young boys under the age of 10 had become lost in Farnworth.
Because of my knowledge of the area I was able to locate them
quickly and escort them back home to Halton View. They were really
pleased to be home having taken the wrong direction out of Victoria
Park.”
He added: “It's the variety of the job I love, I never know what
I'm going to face each day.”
PCSO Karen Nixon
Police Community Support Officer Karen Nixon was the first PCSO
in Vale Royal to be entirely funded by a Parish Council.
The mother-of-two from Northwich said: “I genuinely want to make
a difference to the lives of people in the village. I love problem
solving and am really love getting out and about in the community,
getting to know people and listening to the issues that concern
them.
“I see my role as a kind of link between the Police and the
community. My main aim is to help people wherever I can and my role
working alongside the police officers means I'm perfectly placed to
tap into the resources and tools that are needed to provide
long-term solutions to problems that exist in communities.”
Karen worked as a manager in a Northwich off-licence for 12
years before taking up the PCSO post. The insight it gave her into
local news, views and life in general played an important part in
her decision to change career paths.
“At the shop, I got to know lots of people, both young and old,
and we'd often get chatting about a range of different things.
Young people would come in and chat about their issues, other
people would mention their concerns. I always felt I wanted to do
something to help these people so when I saw the job of PCSO
advertised it seemed like the perfect choice,” said Karen.
Karen already has a wealth of experience working with young
people - she voluntary attended a 10-week training course with the
Youth Offending Team to qualify to work with youths who are made
the subject of referral orders by the courts.
“We'd talk to the young person about their behaviour and try and
help them improve their lives,” she said.
She is keen to continue working with young people in her PCSO
role and is as equally dedicated to reaching out to other members
of the community.
She said: “I aim to work with everyone in Hartford and want to
stress to everyone how I'm here for them all. I want people to see
me as a friendly face they can trust. I want to hear about the
issues that are of concern and am confident that we can work
together, with the police, the councils and other agencies, to
solve the problems.”
PCSO Paul Lumb
In Runcorn, PCSO Paul Lumb has taken to the airwaves of Radio
Halton to keep in touch with patients, visitors and members of
staff at the local hospital.
He’s now a regular after being live on air on the dedicated
hospital radio station by presenter Pam Eastwood, who asked him to
talk about his role as a Community Support Officer and the issues
affecting local residents.
PCSO Lumb said: “I really enjoyed the live broadcast. It was
just like hosting a local meeting, except with a much larger
audience who were listening from the wards, instead of being sat in
the same room as me!
“It was beneficial from my point of view as I was able to
encourage patients and visitors to get in touch with me to discuss
any concerns they may have, but I think it will also have been of
benefit to them to find out about the local projects and
initiatives Community Action Team officers are running at the
moment.
“It's all about finding different ways of keeping in touch with
the local community, wherever they happen to be- in this case
either whilst they are at work, visiting a friend or relative, or
staying as a patient in the hospital.”
PCSO Paul Lumb now returns to Radio Halton on the first Tuesday
of every month to update patients, visitors and members of staff
and to answer any questions they may have about local policing
initiatives.
PCSO Joe Harris
PCSO Joe Harris pounds the streets of Chester City. The role is
his third as a member of Police Staff, having joined the force in
1994 when he worked on the central switchboard. He later moved to
work in the control room before switching to become a PCSO in June
2005.
Joe spent 23 years in the Army, during which time he was a
Physical Training Instructor and Drill/Recruitment Sergeant.
He said: “I joined the Army when I was 16 at the careers office
in Watergate Street, Chester. I had no idea then I'd be back here
patrolling the streets years down the line!”
Getting out and about and providing a reassuring presence in the
community is a big part of Joe's role, and it's one of the areas he
enjoys most.
“Being out in the community, meeting new people is great. Every
day is different with new challenges which test your initiative.
You feel like you've really achieved something when you
successfully deal with the problems you come across.”
Once he's clocked off, Joe’s good work continues as a keen
fundraiser for children's charity Dreams Come True, which helps
terminally ill children fulfil their dreams.
PCSO Keith Bartlett
The resume of Chester Outer PCSO Keith Bartlett reads like the
credentials of a one-man crime fighter.
Security guard for Duke of Westminster, city centre store
detective, traffic warden and ambulance man are to mention the main
jobs Keith has got stuck into in recent years.
In November 2003, he brought his skills to the post of PCSO and
hasn't looked back since - he's tackled a wealth of community
issues from parking to anti-social behaviour and has represented
the Force at the Police First Aid Challenge.
Keith thoroughly enjoys his role as a PCSO and says he's yet to
experience two days that are the same.
He said: “Every day is different. One day you're out on patrol
chatting with the young people and residents, the next day your
involved in meetings, the following shift you're helping Community
Action Team officers in a drugs raid - there's always something new
to get involved with.”
Keith works alongside Chester Outer Neighbourhood Policing Team
officers and concentrates on the Hoole area. He works similar
shifts to police officers and is also trained to be a part of the
Area's Major Incident Team, which is formed as and when a major
incident occurs.
“I can't think of any aspect of the job which I don't enjoy.
We've got some really good relationships in the community,” said
the keen table tennis player.
Some of the other activities in which Keith is involved as a
PCSO include dishing out crime prevention advice, providing witness
statements for Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, issuing warning forms
to youths who commit anti-social behaviour, confiscating alcohol,
identifying and alerting owners of cars deemed at risk of theft,
issuing parking tickets and patrolling hot spot crime areas.